Light-textured, full-flavored, and easy to make, these savory goat cheese popovers are perfect for any time of day: breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!

What are Popovers?

“Popovers” get their name from how the batter rises in the pan and “pops” over the tops of the wells. Considering that you’re only pouring a few tablespoons of batter into each well, the rise is quite dramatic. It’s fun to watch them through the oven door as they bake.

Popovers are similar to Yorkshire puddings, which are baked with the drippings from roasted meats instead of melted butter or cooking spray. The base of both batters is a simple mixture of milk, eggs, flour, and salt.

Some recipes call for using a blender, but I’ve found that hand-mixing with a whisk produces a more tender final product and doesn’t take much longer.

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients will yield a thin batter, somewhere between the consistency of half and half and heavy cream. The liquids create the steam needed to make the batter rise, puff, and form the popover’s characteristically hollow center.

Homemade Popovers: Tips for Success

To achieve the best rise and texture with your popovers, a few steps are key.

First, your popover pan needs to be preheated with your oven so that you’re pouring the batter into hot wells.

Second, your eggs and milk should be at room temperature. Batter made with chilled ingredients will not rise as well.

Start the popovers in an extra-hot oven (425 degrees F), lowering the temperature after they’ve “popped” (20 minutes) and baking until golden. I’ve found that the deeper the color, the better the popovers retain their shape.

Resist the temptation to open the oven door during baking, or your popovers will deflate!

When filling with cheeses, especially softer varieties like the goat cheese used in this recipe, placing the popover pan on a lined baking sheet is essential. As the batter rises, it’s inevitable that a bit of the cheese will bubble out.

(Note: in terms of shape, plain popovers will tend to crown a bit more in the center than filled, goat cheese popovers, as the batter naturally balloons around the filling.)

Much like soufflés, popovers are best served immediately after baking. As soon as they come out of the oven, pierce the top or side of each roll with the tip of a knife to release the steam. This will help them hold their shape and texture for a few extra minutes.

Do I Need a Popover Pan? Muffin Tin Popovers

If you don’t have a popover pan (I’ve used a 12-cup mini popover pan here), a standard muffin tin also works well. Popover pans have deeper, straight walls, which will encourage a higher rise. Though they will be shorter and a bit wider, rolls baked in a muffin tin are still delicious!

Bringing a gorgeous basket of popovers to the table is an easy way to make any meal feel a little more special. Just whisk, fill, and bake!

Print

Bacon and Goat Cheese Popovers

These light and airy Bacon and Goat Cheese Popovers are a perfect addition to any meal from brunch to dinner.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack in the lower third of the oven. Place a 12-well popover pan (preferred) or a standard, nonstick 12-cup muffin tin into the oven, on a lined baking sheet, to heat.

In a small bowl, stir together goat cheese and chives. Set aside. Measure out flour, salt, and pepper, and set aside.

In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together milk and eggs until frothy, 1-2 minutes. Add flour, salt, and pepper, and whisk until just combined and only small lumps remain. Whisk in melted butter. Batter will be relatively thin, with the texture of cream.

Remove popover pan from oven and coat wells with cooking spray. Fill each well about halfway with batter. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of goat cheese into the center of each well and sprinkle with some of the crumbled bacon.

Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for about 15 minutes, until popovers are golden and tops are dry. Popovers will rise considerably. Immediately remove popovers from pan and use a sharp knife to pierce the sides of each to allow the steam to escape. For the crispiest exteriors, serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Using room temperature ingredients is very important to achieve popovers with the best texture and rise. If time is of the essence, the milk can be microwaved until just warm and the eggs can be placed in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.

Have you made this recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below! Don’t forget to take a picture and tag @stripedspatula and #stripedspatula on Instagram for a chance to be featured in my newsletter!

Gorgeous popovers and I love the bacon-goat cheese combo! My little girl loves goat cheese and I know she would have so much fun watching these rise in the oven :) I don’t have a popover pan (yet) but I’ll have to try these in the muffin tin because I know they will taste so delicious! Pinned :)

Popovers have a special place in my heart because they remind me of a restaurant that we ate at in Maine the anniversary before we had our first child. Something about beautiful, sunny days always makes me crave them! I’m excited to try these soon!

I need a popover pan because these look SO good and I want mine to look as gorg as yours! But I guess I can settle for making them in the muffin pan for now…love that you added cheese and bacon! Makes everything better :D

Great tips on making popovers for newbies like me! These look amazing — I love the bacon – goat cheese combo and I actually have all of these ingredients in my fridge pretty regularly! Gotta save and try em soon!! Yum!